US6995859B1ExpiredUtility

Method and system for instruction of a computer

Assignee: SILVERBROOK RES PTY LTDPriority: Sep 17, 1999Filed: Sep 15, 2000Granted: Feb 7, 2006
Est. expirySep 17, 2019(expired)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
G06F 3/04845G06Q 10/10H04N 1/00127G06F 40/174G06F 3/0321G06F 40/171G06F 2203/0337G06F 3/03545G06F 3/04883G06F 3/03
96
PatentIndex Score
70
Cited by
15
References
8
Claims

Abstract

The present invention provides a method for enabling instruction of a computer to perform tasks, the method including the steps of: providing a user with at least one form printable on a surface to provide one or more first viewable information zones relating to one or more available commands and one or more second viewable information zones relating to one or more objects; receiving, in a computer system, indicating data from a sensing device operated by the user regarding movement of the sensing device relative to the surface, said movement including a stroke of part of the sensing device on or relative to said surface; determining, in the computer system and from the indicating data, if the stroke substantially links one or more of said first viewable information zones with one or more of said second viewable information zones, and thereby interpreting the stroke as designating (i) a respective one or more of said available commands and (ii) a respective one or more of said objects; and applying in the computer system the designated one or more of said available commands to the designated one or more of said objects.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
1. A method for enabling instruction of a computer to perform tasks, the method including the steps of:
 providing a user with at least one form printable on a surface to provide one or more first viewable information zones relating to one or more available commands and one or more second viewable information zones relating to one or more objects; 
 receiving, in a computer system, indicating data from a sensing device operated by the user regarding movement of the sensing device relative to the surface, said movement including a stroke of part of the sensing device on or relative to said surface; 
 determining, in the computer system and from the indicating data, if the stroke substantially links one or more of said first viewable information zones with one or more of said second viewable information zones, and thereby interpreting the stroke as designating (i) a respective one or more of said available commands and (ii) a respective one or more of said objects; 
 applying in the computer system the designated one or more of said available commands to the designated one or more of said objects; and 
 identifying, in the computer system and from said indicating data, if the stroke has encircled one or more of said second viewable zones relating to said one or more objects, thereby designating said one or more objects. 
 
     
     
       2. A method for enabling instruction of a computer to perform tasks, the method including the steps of:
 providing a user with at least one form printable on a surface to provide one or more first viewable information zones relating to one or more available commands and one or more second viewable information zones relating to one or more objects; 
 receiving, in a computer system, indicating data from a sensing device operated by the user regarding movement of the sensing device relative to the surface, said movement including a stroke of part of the sensing device on or relative to said surface; 
 determining, in the computer system and from the indicating data, if the stroke substantially links one or more of said first viewable information zones with one or more of said second viewable information zones, and thereby interpreting the stroke as designating (i) a respective one or more of said available commands and (ii) a respective one or more of said objects; 
 applying in the computer system the designated one or more of said available commands to the designated one or more of said objects; and 
 identifying, in the computer system and from said indicating data, if the stroke has intersected one or more of said second viewable zones relating to one or more objects, thereby designating said one or more objects; 
 wherein at least one of said second viewable zones has a viewable boundary, and including the step of identifying, in the computer system and from said indicating data, if the stroke has crossed said boundary more than once, and to apply a different one or more of said available commands if such an occurrence is identified. 
 
     
     
       3. A method for enabling instruction of a computer to perform tasks, the method including the steps of:
 providing a user with at least one form printable on a surface to provide one or more first viewable information zones relating to one or more available commands and one or more second viewable information zones relating to one or more objects; 
 receiving, in a computer system, indicating data from a sensing device operated by the user regarding movement of the sensing device relative to the surface, said movement including a stroke of part of the sensing device on or relative to said surface; 
 determining, in the computer system and from the indicating data, if the stroke substantially links one or more of said first viewable information zones with one or more of said second viewable information zones, and thereby interpreting the stroke as designating (i) a respective one or more of said available commands and (ii) a respective one or more of said objects; and 
 applying in the computer system the designated one or more of said available commands to the designated one or more of said objects; 
 wherein the instruction is for designation of a feature of said one or more objects such that said designated one or more of the available commands is carried out with respect to that feature; and 
 wherein said designated feature is a color attribute of said designated one or more objects, and the method includes the step of setting the value of said color attribute according to the designated one or more commands. 
 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 3 , including the step of providing the user with a further form printable on a surface including one or more viewable information zones relating to said designated one or more of said objects, said one or more zones including representations of the designated one or more objects rendered according to the value of the color attribute. 
     
     
       5. A system for enabling instruction of a computer to perform tasks, the system including:
 at least one form printable on a surface to provide one or more first viewable information zones relating to one or more available commands and one or more second viewable information zones relating to one or more objects; and 
 a computer system for receiving indicating data from a sensing device operated by a user regarding movement of the sensing device relative to the surface, said movement including a stroke of part of the sensing device on or relative to said surface; 
 wherein the computer system is adapted to determine, from the indicating data received, if the sensing device stroke substantially links one or more of said first viewable information zones with one or more of said second viewable information zones and thereby designates (i) a respective one or more of said available commands, and (ii) a respective one or more of said objects one or more of said available commands, the computer system adapted to apply the designated one or more of said available commands to the designated one or more of said objects; 
 and wherein the computer system is adapted to identify from said indicating data if the stroke has encircled one or more of said second viewable zones relating to one or more objects, thereby designating said one or more objects. 
 
     
     
       6. A system for enabling instruction of a computer to perform tasks, the system including:
 at least one form printable on a surface to provide one or more first viewable information zones relating to one or more available commands and one or more second viewable information zones relating to one or more objects; and 
 a computer system for receiving indicating data from a sensing device operated by a user regarding movement of the sensing device relative to the surface, said movement including a stroke of part of the sensing device on or relative to said surface; 
 wherein the computer system is adapted to determine, from the indicating data received, if the sensing device stroke substantially links one or more of said first viewable information zones with one or more of said second viewable information zones and thereby designates (i) a respective one or more of said available commands and (ii) a respective one or more of said objects one or more of said available commands, the computer system adapted to apply the designated one or more of said available commands to the designated one or more of said objects; 
 wherein the computer system is adapted to identify from said indicating data if the stroke has intersected one or more of said second viewable zones relating to one or more objects, thereby designating said one or more objects; and 
 wherein at least one of said second viewable zones has a viewable boundary, the computer system adapted to identify from said indicating data if the stroke has crossed said boundary more than once, and to apply a different one or more of said available commands if such an occurrence is identified. 
 
     
     
       7. A method for enabling instruction of a computer to perform tasks, the method including the steps of:
 providing a user with at least one form printable on a surface to provide one or more first viewable information zones relating to one or more available commands and one or more second viewable information zones relating to one or more objects; 
 receiving, in a computer system, indicating data from a sensing device operated by the user regarding movement of the sensing device relative to the surface, said movement including a stroke of part of the sensing device on or relative to said surface; 
 determining, in the computer system and from the indicating data, if the stroke substantially links one or more of said first viewable information zones with one or more of said second viewable information zones, and thereby interpreting the stroke as designating (i) a respective one or more of said available commands and (ii) a respective one or more of said objects; and 
 applying in the computer system the designated one or more of said available commands to the designated one or more of said objects; 
 wherein one of said first viewable information zones includes a color palette, said one or more objects include an image to be colored, said stroke includes moving said sensing device from a first color on said color palette to said image, and wherein said stroke designates a command to color said image by “dragging and dropping” said first color onto said image. 
 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7 , wherein the surface is a paper page.

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